BALITANG MARINO DAILY NEWS for June 1, 2026
Japan defense chief takes swipe at China at security meet
11 confirmed dead in Washington state chemical accident, all bodies recovered
NZF is the Only Option for Delivering on IMO’s Climate Commitments
Container segment remains in “Critical Risk Zone”
No Signs of Peace in the Gulf
China patrols Scarborough Shoal after Philippines warns of threat
Philippine receives 21,000 MT LPG from US
VP Sara must file impeach response today
Angat Dam water level continues to recede
Vietnam president arrives in Manila
Habagat to dampen W. Visayas, most of Luzon on Monday
Enrollment for SY 2026-2027 to reach 28 million
Leni Robredo closes in on Sara Duterte in hypothetical 2028 race – poll
Colombia’s Vanessa Pulgarin wins MGI All Stars; PH’s Gazini Ganados finishes in Top 5
Filipino singer Matty Juniosa places 4th in ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ final
Dua Lipa, Callum Turner get married in private London ceremony – reports
PBA: Heading powers TNT past Meralco, sets up Finals rematch vs. Ginebra
Spurs dethrone Thunder to reach NBA Finals against Knicks
Swiatek exits French Open; Zverev eases into quarters
Private sector and food security for the region
FULL NEWSPAPER
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Japan defense chief takes swipe at China at security meet
SINGAPORE, Singapore, June 1 —— Japan’s defense minister took a veiled swipe at China, pledging to keep strengthening the military despite Beijing’s criticism of Tokyo’s increasingly muscular security stance.
Under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Japan has quickened its pivot towards a more proactive defense policy, further shaking off — with US encouragement — a pacifist outlook in place since the end of World War II. The change has drawn frequent rebukes from Beijing, which has accused Tokyo of following a reckless policy of “new militarism” that could destabilize the region.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi hit back on Sunday, saying “nothing could be further from the truth”. “Think about it. There is a country that has a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and strategic bombers,” Koizumi said at the annual IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. “Japan has neither of such weapons. And yet, Japan is labelled (as) ‘new militarism’. Isn’t it strange? he said, without mentioning China by name.
China is thought to possess hundreds of nuclear warheads and has been rapidly developing its military in recent years. A diplomatic spat between the Asian rivals has been rumbling since Takaichi suggested in November that Japan might intervene militarily if China were to attempt to seize Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing claims is part of its territory.
Koizumi said that China was expanding its military capabilities “without sufficient transparency” and that its military activities were “a matter of serious concern for Japan”. Tokyo would “steadily build up its defense capabilities and make continuous updates with a high degree of transparency”, including in the fields of artificial intelligence, uncrewed systems as well as cyber and space defense, he said. “Japan’s past as a peace-loving nation has been valued by the region and by the international community. This fact will not be shaken by false claims, because it is a fact,” he said.
Maritime disputes
In a meeting with his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro, the two countries confirmed that Japan would aim to transfer Abukuma-class destroyers and TC-90 aircraft to the Southeast Asian nation during Japan’s fiscal year 2027, a Philippine statement said.
Manila has been eyeing the Abukuma-class vessels — which are being retired by Japan — for some time, with the military sending a contingent to examine them in 2025. The countries have been deepening defense ties in the shadow of China’s naval ambitions, announcing that they will discuss intelligence sharing and open maritime border talks condemned by Beijing as an “illegal” violation of its expansive territorial claims.
Teodoro singled out Beijing’s activities in the South China Sea for criticism, saying Manila “will not sacrifice our territorial integrity and sovereignty because our constitution does not allow us”. “To do so would be to subvert the popular, democratic and free mandate that the people gave our political leaders, unlike some autocratic systems where the mandate comes from above, dictated down.”
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis. As Teodoro spoke, China’s People’s Liberation Army Southern Theater Command issued a statement online saying it had “conducted combat readiness patrols” in the waters and airspace around Scarborough Shoal, the site of a years-long territorial dispute with the Philippines.
The patrols “serve as an effective countermeasure to cope with all sorts of rights-violation and provocative acts” around the shoal, “an inherent part of China’s territory”, the statement said. The Shangri-La Dialogue is Asia’s top defense forum, bringing together security officials and experts from more than 45 countries. In contrast to Japan — and its ally the United States — China has sent a watered-down delegation that does not include its defense minister, Dong Jun, for the second year running. Koizumi said he was “feeling sad that we were unable to have the opportunity to have a meeting this time.
Source: gmanetwork.com
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11 confirmed dead in Washington state chemical accident, all bodies recovered
June 1 —— The death toll from a chemical tank rupture in the US state of Washington climbed to 11 as crews recovered the bodies of all nine missing people, authorities said.
Two fatalities had been confirmed after the tank containing “white liquor”—a chemical solution of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide used in making paper pulp—imploded at a Nippon Dynawave Packaging facility. The search for the missing carried on through the week as recovery crews worked through debris in indoor areas and flew drones over the perimeter of the site, said Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue’s deputy chief, Kurt Stitch.
The ruptured tank contained about 900,000 gallons (3.4 million liters) of white liquor, and tests confirmed that contamination entered the nearby Columbia River, officials have said, although no “negative health impacts” had been detected on air quality or the city of Longview’s drinking water. Nippon Paper Industries, Japan’s second-biggest paper manufacturer by sales, acquired the Longview plant from Seattle-based timber company Weyerhaeuser for $225 million and established the wholly owned subsidiary Nippon Dynawave Packaging in 2016.
Source: gmanetwork.com
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MARITIME NEWS
NZF is the Only Option for Delivering on IMO’s Climate Commitments
June 1 —— The IMO’s Net-Zero Framework is back on track. A majority of International Maritime Organization member states continue to support the framework – which aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships in line with its 2023 greenhouse gas reduction strategy – despite significant pressure from the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Panama and Liberia.
The NZF’s supporters have been further vindicated by last week’s landslide vote by the UN General Assembly to adopt the International Court of Justice’s climate crisis ruling. Now it is clear that for the UN, “tackling the climate crisis is a legal duty under international law, and not just a political choice.”
While pressure on the NZF now seems to have eased somewhat, supportive governments – many of which have called for the NZF’s urgent adoption – will need to remain vigilant and strong in order to parry inevitable future attacks and attempts to further delay the process of adoption, which is currently scheduled for early December.
The same applies to the majority of shipping industry associations and other stakeholders, which have supported the NZF and the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy that preceded it. They have a lot to lose through an unplanned, chaotic, and uncertain energy transition. Such a scenario will be disruptive, more costly and bad for business. Now is not the time for them to sit on the sidelines.
So why is the NZF – as it stands – so important? The framework includes a global fuel standard (GFS), requiring ships to gradually reduce how polluting their fuel is (i.e., how much greenhouse gas is emitted for each unit of energy used, across a fuel’s life cycle). The framework also introduces a mechanism that puts a price on the greenhouse gases ships emit, giving the shipping industry a clear financial reason to reduce emissions in line with the global fuel standard.
The NZF will apply to all oceangoing ships over 5,000 gross tonnage (GT) – responsible for over 85 percent of global shipping emissions. This is crucial – the global shipping industry emits around three percent of global emissions, equivalent to a major industrialized country like Japan – and reductions are essential if dangerous global heating is to be avoided.
While the NZF is not perfect – the Clean Shipping Coalition, along with many progressive states, wishes it had gone further and been more ambitious – it contains an important foundation that can be built upon in the future.
The IMO’s 2023 GHG Strategy set out a roadmap for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from global shipping, with targets to reduce emissions by 30 percent by 2030, 80 percent by 2040 (both in comparison to 2008 levels) and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. This will only be possible if the NZF is adopted “as is,” and paired with a revised and strengthened Carbon Intensity Indicator – a key IMO tool for measuring and driving improvements in the energy efficiency and thus climate emissions of ships.
The NZF is set to be discussed at two IMO intercessional meetings, one in September and another immediately prior to December’s MEPC 85, which will itself immediately precede a resumed Extraordinary Session 2, during which the NZF is scheduled for adoption.
These intercessional meetings are only taking place before the planned adoption so that concerns about the NZF can be properly discussed. They are not a green light for alternative “technical measure only” proposals that are incapable of delivering the shipping climate obligations enshrined in the 2023 GHG Strategy.
Neither the Panama/Liberia/Argentina proposal nor the one from Japan are fit for that purpose, nor do they have enough support for approval. Only seven countries expressed support for progressing Japan’s proposal. The lack of a GHG pricing component in these two proposals means that the only option for enforcement is to arrest ships that are found to be non-compliant. Not only does this fail to raise the money that is essential to ensure a just and equitable transition and provide the necessary subsidizing of higher-priced zero-emission fuels, it creates high-stakes risks for the industry, which would have to make judgments on how best to manage exposure to this ultimate sanction. This can only result in high volatility and uncertainty in how decarbonization and transport costs will evolve.
If the NZF was to be reopened at the request of those that want it weakened, those that want it further strengthened would have every right to have their proposals considered as well. However, there really is no need for reopening this process – the NZF is as it is because it already represents a carefully negotiated balance of interests.
Every alternative has already been considered and failed to gain enough support. If conducted in good faith, a lengthy re-litigation process would in all likelihood end up in the same place, with valuable time lost.
Supporters of the NZF, IMO member states in particular, but also industry stakeholders, must be clear: the NZF “as is” is the only option on the table with the potential of delivering the commitments made in 2023, and any alternative policy framework that stalls the maritime energy transition – or reverses it – is unacceptable. The stakes are too high.
In a world that is getting hotter, the Net-Zero Framework will bring certainty to the shipping sector, and give shape to an energy transition that leaves no country behind. Governments that have supported the Net-Zero Framework must now double their efforts to protect it as it moves towards IMO adoption.
Source: maritime-executive.com
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Container segment remains in “Critical Risk Zone”
June 1 —— RISK4SEA, the SaaS PSC Intelligence platform, has released the May 2026 edition of its PSC Stress Index (PSI), providing a forward-looking assessment of the global Port State Control (PSC) enforcement climate across the Bulker, Tanker, Container and General Cargo segments.
The PSI framework, first introduced earlier this year as the industry’s first normalized PSC Climate Indicator, aims to measure whether PSC enforcement conditions are becoming more severe or more forgiving across the global fleet environment. Building on the methodology (www.risk4sea.com/PSI) previously presented by RISK4SEA, the latest release confirms a clear divergence between fleet segments, with Containers and Bulkers operating under severe PSC enforcement conditions.
According to the May 2026 PSI readings, the Container segment remains at PSI-9, classified as “Critical Risk Zone”, while Bulkers showed modest improvement but remained under elevated pressure at PSI-8 ‘“Immediate Attention”. In contrast, both Tankers and General Cargo show significant de-escalation with a recorded PSI-2 “Improving Trend”, indicating a more forgiving PSC climate environment compared with their historical baselines.
“Bulk carriers and container vessels continue to face elevated PSC stress levels, reflecting increasingly stringent inspection conditions and heightened enforcement focus across several regions. Ship managers should treat these developments as a clear early-warning signal and intensify vessel readiness, recurring deficiency monitoring, onboard preparedness and crew response capability in anticipation of more severe inspection outcomes during the coming months,” urged Apo Belokas, CEO & Founder, RISK4SEA.
Regarding tankers and general cargo vessels, the PSI remains low at 2. “This signals that inspection stress is improving for these two segments. However, it is important for ship managers to maintain discipline and build consistency in order to sustain this improvement,” commented Apo Belokas.
Containers: PSI-9 “Critical Risk Zone”
The Container segment remains in the most severe and critical condition across all vessel categories, with detention activity increasing by +112.1% versus the 36-month baseline and KPI performance stress reaching +26.9%.
Container vessels recorded 43 detentions from 888 PSC inspections, while the segment’s detention rate surged to 4.85% compared with the historical baseline of 2.06%. Particularly concerning was the +135.1% increase in DER and +47.8% increase in SMS Deficiency Rate, indicating increasing operational and management-system pressure.
Key detention hotspots included Zhoushan, Brisbane, Shanghai and Qingdao, while the dominant deficiency profile remained concentrated around fire safety systems, fixed fire extinguishing installations, firefighting appliances and machinery-space control systems.
Bulkers: PSI-8 “Immediate Attention”
The Bulker segment remained under substantial PSC pressure, recording PSI-8 with detention activity rising +44.9% above baseline conditions.
Bulk carriers registered 96 detentions from 2,192 PSC inspections, while Ship Structure & Equipment indicators deteriorated significantly (+22.4%), accompanied by a +32.4% increase in detention rate compared with historical averages.
The data highlighted elevated detention activity in several Chinese ports including Shanghai, Zhangjiagang, Shenzhen and Nantong. Fixed fire extinguishing installations, lifeboats, fire doors and structural fire protection systems represented the dominant detention drivers during the month.
Tankers: PSI-2 “Improving Trend”
The Tanker segment continued to demonstrate relative resilience, recording PSI-2 with detention activity decreasing by -37.6% against the long-term baseline.
Only 15 detentions were recorded from 816 PSC inspections, while detention rate improved by -21.6% versus historical averages. Although overall stress conditions improved, RISK4SEA identified continued exposure around lifeboats, fire pumps and fixed fire extinguishing systems. The analysis nevertheless showed that older tanker tonnage still experiences materially higher DPI and DER levels, indicating that aging fleets remain vulnerable despite the broader improvement trend.
General Cargo: PSI-2 “Improving Trend”
General Cargo vessels also recorded PSI-2, indicating improving enforcement conditions despite remaining operationally exposed due to historically high baseline detention rates.
The segment recorded 63 detentions from 1,052 PSC inspections, with overall detention activity decreasing by -11.9% compared with long-term averages. However, General Cargo vessels continued to exhibit the highest absolute detention rate among all four segments at approximately 6%.
The PSI analysis also identified a very large concentration of active port alerts and elevated P-III inspection exposure, confirming that General Cargo remains structurally vulnerable despite month-to-month improvement trends. Deficiency concentrations remained focused on fire protection systems, hatch covers, lifeboats and structural integrity items.
Operational Guidance for Ship managers in the sector
General Cargo ship managers should prioritize sustained discipline rather than assume risk normalization. Hatch cover integrity, fire systems and aging vessel maintenance remain dominant risk drivers requiring continuous monitoring.
Looking ahead
RISK4SEA noted that the May 2026 PSI readings reinforce the concept that PSC enforcement operates as a dynamic “climate system” rather than a static compliance environment.
The next PSI release is expected in June 2026 and will continue monitoring changes in global PSC enforcement severity, detention activity stress and KPI performance stress across all major shipping segments.
Source: safety4sea.com
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No Signs of Peace in the Gulf
June 1 —— From activity noted, there are few if any indications from the Gulf region or in the Strait of Hormuz area that a ceasefire or an end to the war is imminent.
The blockade of Iranian ships and ports goes on unabated. On May 29. U.S. Central Command reported that US naval forces had disabled Gambian-flagged 71-meter general cargo vessel MV Lianstar (IMO 9072692) in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel ignored repeated warnings that it should not attempt to make for an Iranian port. A U.S. helicopter fire a Hellfire missile into the ship’s engine room, disabling the vessel.
The day after, the Iranian Army showed off the debris of an Orbiter reconnaissance drone which it shot down just off the coast of Qeshm Island.
Oman’s Maritime Security Centre warned all shipping on May 29 that an object floating west of the westbound channel of the recognized Traffic Separation Scheme was probably a sea mine, warning shipping to be on special alert and to report any suspicious sightings.
At the Kharg Island terminal further into the Gulf, there were no ships on the eastern loading piers. The last time there was activity spotted was on May 21, when two small tankers were at the pier, suspected of loading oil for internal transfer within the Gulf. A large number of tankers were waiting off the terminal on May 28, as there have been now for several weeks.
Perhaps prompted by reports that the Kooh Mobarak oil terminal near Jask was inoperable, despite the huge investment made in developing it as an alternative export terminal on the Gulf of Oman, a 313m-long tanker arrived at the Single Point Mooring (SPM) on May 29. From a visible oil slick it appeared to be loading. As in previous days, the Guinea-flagged and OFAC sanctioned Vernon (IMO 9232876) was seen anchored 1.75nm due south of the SPM, where she has been since May 19.
On the political front, the Iranian parliament has been pressing forward with legislation to enable the so-called “Persian Gulf Strait Authority,” which now handles administrative functions for the IRGC-operated shipping channel near Larak and Qeshm. At the same time, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned that anyone dealing with or handling money with the authority will be subject to US sanctions, which will effectively deter most global shipping lines from using the channel in Iranian waters.
Secretary Bessent also has been pointing out what has become increasingly obvious from the to-and-fro of the US-Iranian negotiations – that the Iranians are desperately short of money. The economic situation before the war in Iran was already very serious. Now the Iranian government also has the cost of restoring destroyed infrastructure, to add to the pre-existing financial difficulties. Even if sanctions are lifted, it will take many months for oil money to start flowing into Iran’s Ministry of Finance – but to fend off social unrest in the days after the war is settled, for example by raising food subsidies or purchasing food supplies from abroad, the need for emergency funding is immediate.
Statements of defiance from Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and head of Iran’s negotiating team, expressing Iran’s determination to concede nothing and accept nothing on the basis of promises, do not necessarily reflect a hardening of Iran’s negotiating position – although Iran has certainly created some bargaining strength by its shut-down of the Strait of Hormuz. It can also be interpreted as a desperate need to obtain immediate funding up-front, without which the Iranian security structure will have difficulty keeping unrest under control.
On balance, Iran has the greater need to settle the war quickly, whereas the United States can carry on with its blockade at relatively low risk of casualties and with little direct impact so far on the US economy (except for a 2.4 percent increase in consumer prices and a 50 percent increase in the price of gasoline since February). The Gulf states are divided. But most do not want to see the war restarted, and have adapted to living without access through the Strait of Hormuz for the time being; as the Qataris have demonstrated in their bilateral negotiations with the Iranians this week in Doha, they do not want to see the Iranian regime boosted by being granted access to immediate funding.
Source: maritime-executive.com
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PHILIPPINE NEWS
China patrols Scarborough Shoal after Philippines warns of threat
BEIJING, June 1 —— China’s military and coast guard said they carried out patrols near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, a day after the Philippine defense secretary said Manila remained under threat from Beijing despite a recent easing in US-China tensions.
Scarborough Shoal is one of Asia’s most contested maritime features and has become a frequent flashpoint between China and the Philippines over sovereignty and fishing rights. The People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theatre Command said in a statement on the WeChat platform that its naval and air units carried out combat readiness patrols in the “territorial sea and airspace” of the atoll and its surrounding areas. “Such patrols serve as an effective countermeasure to cope with all sorts of rights violation and provocative acts,” the command said.
China’s coast guard said in a separate statement it conducted law enforcement patrols near the Scarborough Shoal, adding that since this month it had dealt with ships engaged in “illegal rights-violation activities in accordance with laws and regulations,” without elaborating. The Philippine Embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
The patrols took place as defense ministers, military chiefs and policymakers from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond gathered in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defense forum. Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the summit, Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said the Philippines remains under “severe threat” from China both territory-wise and politically, despite a recent thaw in US-China tensions following the summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping earlier this month. “We have no choice but really to be resilient and to stand up against Chinese aggression,” he said.
The Philippines and China have been locked in repeated maritime standoffs in the South China Sea in recent years, at times resulting in collisions between vessels and injuries to personnel. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea via a “nine-dash line” on its maps that cuts into the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Disputes over dozens of islands and features have festered for decades. Taiwan’s claims to features in the South China Sea are broadly similar to China’s. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled that China’s claims were not supported by international law, a decision that Beijing rejects.
Source: gmanetwork.com
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Philippine receives 21,000 MT LPG from US
MANILA, Philippines, June 1 —— The Philippines has received 21,000 metric tons (MT) of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) shipments from the United States to strengthen energy supply.
In a statement, the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) said the LPG shipment was meant to support the country’s emergency stabilization measures and ensure that fuel remains accessible during the current national energy emergency. The PNOC added that the additional 21,000 MT of LPG will reinforce the country’s inventory levels and mitigate any potential supply disruptions in key demand areas.
LPG shipments arrived on May 30 at the Calaca Industrial Seaport Corp. Industrial Park and will be stored at South Pacific Inc. Terminal in Calaca, Batangas. The cargo consisted of 50 percent refrigerated propane and 50 percent refrigerated butane exported from Enterprise Port in Texas, United States. The shipments were procured through Trafigura Pte. Ltd. on April 13.
The PNOC said that it had ensured close coordination of all operational requirements before the shipment’s arrival, while maintaining its stringent safety standards and optimizing operational efficiencies. The shipment was part of the Department of Energy’s Emergency Energy Security Program, which mandated the PNOC to procure LPG reserves and the PNOC Exploration Corp. to purchase diesel supply.
The PNOC had issued a Notice of Product Availability to accelerate the release of fuel inventories to qualified partners capable of ensuring efficient downstream delivery. “The delivery of PNOC-procured LPG demonstrates the concrete actions being undertaken by the DOE and PNOC to strengthen the country’s fuel reserves, support supply stability and help ensure the continuous availability of LPG during the ongoing national energy emergency,” PNOC senior vice president Graciela Barleta said.
Source: philstar.com
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VP Sara must file impeach response today
MANILA, Philippines, June 1 —— Vice President Sara Duterte has until 7 p.m. today to file her formal answer to the Articles of Impeachment.
In an advisory, Senate Secretary Jose Luis Montales said Duterte may submit her response from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. personally or through her legal counsel should they not opt for submitting by email. In the event Duterte opts to file the document in person, the Senate has locked down administrative access throughout the building to prevent media scuffles. “Access to the Office of the Senate Secretary on the sixth floor, where the answer will be received and processed, shall be restricted to authorized officials of the Impeachment Court and members of the Vice President’s legal team,” the Senate advisory stated. “Given the limited space within the Senate premises and the anticipated number of media representatives, these measures are necessary to ensure safety, facilitate movement, and provide equitable access and accommodation for all concerned,” the advisory added.
In anticipation of the filing, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano dismissed, in a Facebook Live on May 30, allegations that the majority bloc’s proposed amendment to the Senate rules on remote participation is tied to the upcoming impeachment trial. Duterte’s defense team yesterday assured that they would meet today’s deadline to file its answer to the Articles of Impeachment. House prosecution team spokesperson Rep. Renee Co said the best gift they can give to Duterte – whose birthday was yesterday – is her opportunity to refute all the Articles of Impeachment filed against her before the Senate impeachment court.
Source: philstar.com
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Angat Dam water level continues to recede
MALOLOS, Bulacan, Philippines, June 1 —— The water elevation of Angat Dam, the primary source of potable water for Metro Manila residents, continues to recede, the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office reported.
The Bulacan PDRRMO said the dam’s water level was at 172.98 meters as of 6 a.m. yesterday. The record was 7.02 meters below Angat’s minimum operating level of 180 meters and 12.98 meters above its critical level of 160 meters.
Sevillo David Jr., National Water Resources Board executive director, told The STAR that Metro Manila is being allocated 50 cubic meters per second of water from Angat. He said the irrigation supply to Bulacan and parts of Pampanga has been halted.
Source: philstar.com
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Vietnam president arrives in Manila
MANILA, Philippines, June 1 —— Vietnamese President and Communist Party leader Tô Lâm arrived yesterday in the Philippines for a historic two-day visit that seeks to strengthen bilateral cooperation in defense, maritime cooperation, food security and other key areas.
Lâm and his wife, First Lady Ngo Phuong Ly, arrived on a Vietnam Airlines flight at Villamor Air Base in Pasay at 12:40 p.m. They were accorded full arrival honors and were welcomed by Philippine government officials led by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
The state visit is the first by Vietnam’s party leader to the Philippines. The Philippines and Vietnam are about to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties and a decade of strategic partnership. Vietnam is the Philippines’ only strategic partner in Southeast Asia.
Lâm will lay a wreath in Rizal Park in Manila before proceeding to Malacañang for a bilateral meeting with President Marcos. “The meeting between President Marcos and Lâm will be a landmark moment to further deepen the two nations’ political, defense and economic cooperation,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said. “The two leaders will seek to reinforce the relationship, centered on strengthened collaboration in trade and investment, food security, defense and maritime cooperation, education, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges,” the PCO added.
Marcos will host a state luncheon for his Vietnamese counterpart. There are more than 7,000 Filipinos in Vietnam.
Source: philstar.com
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Habagat to dampen W. Visayas, most of Luzon on Monday
MANILA, June 1 —— The southwest monsoon (habagat) enhanced by Typhoon Domeng will cause rains over Western Visayas and most of Luzon, the weather bureau said.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecast scattered rains and thunderstorms across Western Visayas, Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, and Mimaropa. Moderate to heavy rains in those areas could result in flash floods or landslides.
The rest of the country will experience isolated rain showers caused by localized thunderstorms.
PAGASA said habagat and the periphery of Domeng will bring strong to gale-force gusts over Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Panay Island, and Negros Occidental. Extreme northern Luzon will experience moderate to strong winds and moderate to rough seas.
Mariners of small sea craft, including all types of motor bancas, are advised not to venture out to sea under these conditions, PAGASA said. Meanwhile, Domeng maintained its strength, packing maximum sustained winds of 130 km per hour near the center and gusts of up to 160 kph. It was located 655 km. east northeast of Itbayat, Batanes as of 4 a.m., moving north northwestward at 15 kph.
PAGASA forecast Domeng to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility within the day.
Source: pna.gov.ph
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Enrollment for SY 2026-2027 to reach 28 million
MANILA, Philippines, June 1 —— The total enrollment for School Year (SY) 2026-2027 is expected to reach 26 to 28 million as classes begin on June 8, the Department of Education (DepEd) said.
In an interview with dzBB, DepEd Assistant Secretary for Operations Jocelyn Andaya said the directive of President Marcos and Education Secretary Sonny Angara is to ensure the readiness of schools in time for school opening. “We started early enrollment this January and it is ongoing because we have noticed that some of our students are just enrolling now or have yet to enroll,” Andaya said.
The implementation of the three-term school calendar will proceed beginning this school year amid calls from teachers’ groups to postpone it. “There will be additional orientation, as well as for children and parents in the opening bloc so that we can make our students and parents understand that the three-term calendar is part of our broader reform agenda, meaning we want to make sure that it is not just a quick fix,” Andaya said. “The three-term school calendar will be implemented. Private schools will have flexibility in implementing the three-term calendar,” she added.
The number of school days will remain at 202 days despite the implementation of the three-term scheme. The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition has said that it is “not too late” to defer the new academic setup as teachers and school heads still have unanswered questions regarding the new academic setup and the full rollout of the revised senior high school curriculum. Andaya added that the DepEd estimates over one million teaching and non-teaching personnel, giving assurance there will be enough teachers for this school year.
The DepEd has also placed the classroom backlog at 136,000, she said. Andaya said the Department of Public Works and Highways vowed to deliver at least 9,000 classrooms this year. “This includes new projects and backlogs left over from last year. We also encourage large construction firms to participate so that our schools can be built faster, stronger and of higher quality,” she said.
She said DepEd also continues to procure new books to ensure a 1:1 ratio for learners. “Last year, we delivered some but they were not yet complete, and this year we are speeding up the procurement and while the children still don’t have books, we have what are called supplementary learning materials and lesson activity sheets to address the book shortage,” she said.
The new books are expected to be delivered in July.
Source: philstar.com
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Leni Robredo closes in on Sara Duterte in hypothetical 2028 race – poll
MANILA, Philippines, June 1 —— Vice President Sara Duterte continues to lead former Vice President Leni Robredo in a hypothetical 2028 presidential race, but the Naga City mayor has significantly narrowed the gap and remains competitive in key regions.
In the Pulse Asia survey conducted from May 3 to 7, 2026, Stratbase Group’s first commissioned poll on the 2028 elections, 1,500 respondents were interviewed, with a margin of error of ±2.5 percentage points. Robredo garnered 41% support nationwide in a head-to-head matchup, while Duterte led with 51%. Eight percent were undecided or refused to answer.
Despite Duterte’s lead, four in 10 Filipinos (40%) said they would vote for Robredo in a two-way race, showing sustained national competitiveness. Robredo also remains strongest in Balance Luzon, where she leads Duterte 55% to 33%, and has neutralized Duterte’s advantage in the National Capital Region, where both are in a statistical dead heat at 48% to 46%.
Duterte retains a slim edge in the Visayas (50% to 46%), while maintaining a dominant lead in Mindanao (91% to 7%). Stratbase Group founder Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit said Duterte’s national advantage is largely driven by her exceptionally strong support in Mindanao, but noted that such levels are historically difficult to sustain throughout a national campaign.
He added that Robredo’s performance suggests a potential pathway for a competitive opposition, particularly if support is consolidated and undecided voters are won over. “Historically, no presidential candidate sustains numbers as high as 91 percent throughout an entire national campaign,” Manhit said. “What this survey also underscores is the importance of building a solid and united opposition. The presidential race two-way contest to win an absolute majority mandate for the Presidency,” he added.
Source: philstar.com
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ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Colombia’s Vanessa Pulgarin wins MGI All Stars; PH’s Gazini Ganados finishes in Top 5
MANILA, Philippines, June 1 —— Vanessa Pulgarin of Colombia was crowned the inaugural MGI All Stars winner in Bangkok, Thailand, besting 55 other contestants. The Philippines’ Gazini Ganados finished in the Top 5 of the competition.
Joining Pulgarin in the Top 3 were Faith Maria Porter of Ghana, who was named first runner-up, and Huong Giang Nguyen of Vietnam, who finished as second runner-up. During the final question-and-answer segment, the Top 3 candidates were asked the same question: “What qualities do you possess that make you a star and allow you to shine clearly above the rest?.”
Pulgarin responded: “I [was] born for this. This is my biggest dream. Doesn’t matter what door is closing. You need to trust in yourself. Doesn’t matter if a person say, ‘No, you can’t do [that].’ You can, because we are power. We are disciplined. And I’m here because I want to win MGI All Stars because I’m born for the stage. I’m born for the connection with the people. I’m here because I work hard for my dreams. Kap khun ka.”
Ganados advanced to the Top 5 after the swimsuit, evening gown and question-and-answer rounds. While the Filipina beauty queen delivered strong performances on stage, her response in the Top 5 Q&A segment appeared to fall short compared with the eventual finalists. During the round, Ganados was asked by Miss Grand International 2020 Abena Appiah Akuaba: “Cyberbullying has become one of the biggest threats facing young people today. Beyond simply telling people to be kind, what practical steps should society take to reduce cyberbullying?”
Ganados answered, “I was once a victim of cyberbullying. It was not easy to go through something that you didn’t ask for. As a Filipina-Palestinian, I have raised my voice and I have conquered my fears because I faced the struggles that I have been facing.” “My family is still stuck in Gaza/ And now that I’m fighting for their lives, I just want to do my best, be their representation, and raise their flags, just like who I am today as a Filipina-Palestinian,” she added.
Apart from Ganados, four other Filipinas competed in the first edition of MGI All Stars. Fuschia Anne Ravena advanced to the Top 18, while Alexia Nuñez, Keylyn Trajano and Imelda Schweighart also represented the country. MGI All Stars differs from the regular Miss Grand International competition, whose reigning titleholder is Emma Tiglao of the Philippines.
The pageant serves as a spin-off of Miss Grand International and features returning beauty queens from various national and international pageants. Tiglao co-hosted the coronation night alongside Miss Universe Philippines 2023 Michelle Dee and Ecuadorian actor Danilo Carrera. Filipino shoe designer and entrepreneur Jojo Bragais served as one of the eight judges.
Source: manilatimes.net
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Filipino singer Matty Juniosa places 4th in ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ final
June 1 —— Filipino singer Matty Juniosa finished fourth in the grand final of the 19th season of the television talent competition “Britain’s Got Talent,” capping off a breakout run that earned him two Golden Buzzers and international attention.
Juniosa, an alumnus of “Idol Philippines,” performed a rendition of Sinéad O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” during the live final on Saturday, May 30, before more than 1 million viewers cast their votes. The competition was won by Hawkstone Farmers Choir, followed by drone art collective Celestial in second place, and dance duo Anastasiia and Salsa in third.
Juniosa placed fourth among the 10 finalists, British media reported. The remaining finalists, in order, were Rafferty Coope, Sonny Green, Ted Hill, Sadeck Berrabah and LMA, Fabian Fox and Liwei Yang. The winner received £250,000 and a spot in this year’s Royal Variety Performance.
Juniosa emerged as one of the season’s standout contestants after receiving a Golden Buzzer from judge Simon Cowell during his audition with a performance of Prince’s “Purple Rain.” The Golden Buzzer sent him directly to the semifinals. He later earned a second Golden Buzzer from judge Amanda Holden during the live semifinals after performing Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” securing his place in the final.
Following that performance, judge Alesha Dixon praised Juniosa’s vocals, describing him as “effortlessly sensational” and calling his rendition a “masterclass performance.” Originally from Mandaluyong City, Juniosa first gained national attention as a contestant on the inaugural season of “Idol Philippines” in 2019. He later became a member of the vocal trio iDolls before moving to Scotland in 2022 to study musical theater at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Now based in Glasgow, Juniosa balances work as a part-time waiter with a growing career in theater and music. He has appeared in productions including “Kinky Boots,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Oscar at the Crown” and “Ne Zha.” He was recently cast as Annas in “Jesus Christ Superstar” in the West End. “Britain’s Got Talent,” hosted by Ant and Dec, featured judges Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI for its 19th season
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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Dua Lipa, Callum Turner get married in private London ceremony – reports
June 1 —— Dua Lipa and Callum Turner are levitating in marital bliss, as the celebrity couple secretly tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in London, England.
Lipa and Turner said “I do” in front of their closest friends and family members at the Old Marylebone Town Hall in London on Sunday, May 31, in photos obtained by the British media outlet The Sun and later reuploaded on social media. The “Dance The Night” singer wore a Schiaparelli ivory blazer and midi skirt, white pumps, and a wide-brimmed hat, and carried a small bouquet of orchids. Meanwhile, Turner was a dashing groom in a dark blue tuxedo and trousers.
According to British Vogue, the intimate ceremony is not the only wedding celebration the couple will have; they will also have a larger event in Palermo, Sicily. Some of the reported guests include fashion designers Donatella Versace and Simon Porte Jacquemus, as well as singers Elton John and Charli XCX. It remains unknown when the bigger wedding will take place.
Lipa and Turner started dating in January 2024 after they first met at a cafe in London. They have since been spotted together on many occasions, including couples’ getaways, and have supported each other in their respective careers. The “Houdini” singer confirmed their engagement in a British Vogue cover interview in June 2025. “It’s nice to know the person that you’re going to spend the rest of your life with knows you very well… This decision to grow old together, to see a life and just, I don’t know, be best friends forever — it’s a really special feeling,” she was quoted as saying.
Source: inquirer.net
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SPORTS NEWS
PBA: Heading powers TNT past Meralco, sets up Finals rematch vs. Ginebra
MANILA, June 1 —— Jordan Heading caught fire to power TNT Tropang 5G back to the PBA Finals and set up a rematch against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
The Fil-Aussie sniper erupted for 30 points built on seven three-pointers as TNT defeated the Meralco Bolts, 97-94, in Game 6 of the Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup semifinals at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. “The work remains the same, and we’re blessed and thankful for the chance [at a championship],” said Heading, who completed a crucial and-one play with 42 seconds left to put TNT ahead by three.
Chris McCullough also delivered with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists before fouling out. Calvin Oftana added 12 points and seven rebounds, and also drew a costly offensive foul from Bong Quinto in crunch time, setting up Heading’s eventual game-winning basket.
TNT’s defense likewise held firm in the closing seconds, refusing to give Meralco a clean look to extend its conference campaign. Despite having 15 seconds left, Quinto missed a three-point attempt, while CJ Cansino was forced to take a desperation four-pointer that also missed. Jason Brickman grabbed the offensive rebound, but his ensuing triple likewise came up short, allowing the Tropang 5G to escape.
TNT and Ginebra are expected to open their best-of-seven Finals series on Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, with the Tropang 5G looking to reassert their mastery over the Gin Kings after defeating them in the Finals of the same conference last season. Meanwhile, Patrick Gardner wrapped up his brief PBA stint with the Bolts with 32 points, though Meralco ultimately fell short in its attempt to complete a 14-point comeback. Quinto finished with 14 points, highlighted by two four-pointers, while Chris Newsome added 15 markers. Cliff Hodge and Brickman also chipped in 11 points apiece for Meralco.
The Scores:
TNT 97 – Heading 30, McCullough 22, Oftana 12, Ganuelas-Rosser 9, Pogoy 8, Williams 7, Nambatac 5, Castro 4, Khobuntin 0, Aurin 0.
Meralco 94 – Gardner 32, Newsome 15, Quinto 14, Brickman 11, Hodge 11, Mocon 5, Banchero 4, Cansino 2, Rios 0, Bates 0.
Quarterscores: 29-25, 51-44, 79-71, 97-94.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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Spurs dethrone Thunder to reach NBA Finals against Knicks
WASHINGTON, June 1 —— The San Antonio Spurs, sparked by superstar Victor Wembanyama, advanced to the NBA Finals by dethroning defending champion Oklahoma City 111-103, booking a championship showdown against New York.
The Spurs captured the best-of-seven Western Conference finals 4-3 to reach the NBA Finals, which begin on Wednesday against the Knicks in San Antonio. “Though we’re still hungry for one more, this feeling is, I can’t explain it, it’s so powerful,” Wembanyama said. “We want four more. We’re not done. Go Spurs go.”
French 7-foot-4 (2.24m) center Wembanyama scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds, Julian Champagnie added 20 points including six three-pointers and Stephon Castle had 16 points for the Spurs, who led the winner-take-all contest almost the entire way. “We had a good team, a great team,” Champagnie said. “We had to stay the course and play a good game. “We were passing the ball. We were playing as a team. We come out here and play together. We never knew if we were going to get this far but when you’ve got the greatest player in the world things happen.”
That was a nod to Wembanyama, the Most Valuable Player of the Western Conference finals and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. “It doesn’t mean anything for me other than the fact we are a team,” Wembanyama said of his series MVP award. “I got this for all of us and all the fans right here.”
Of his teammates, Wembanyama added, “They don’t even know how much I love them. They are just incredible. Everybody stepped up tonight.” “Wemby” dominated in his first playoff game seven and was emotional at the finish, laughing and crying and hugging teammates over reaching his first NBA Finals. “Realizing that some part of the childhood dream was going to come true,” the 22-year-old Frenchman said of his reaction.
The win sets up an NBA Finals repeat of this season’s NBA Cup final, which the Knicks won with a 124-113 defeat of San Antonio last December in Las Vegas. “A lot of physicality, hit first, and rebounding,” Champagnie said of the Knicks. “It will be a nice challenge for us.”
NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 35 points. “He was brilliant. He had a great game,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “He delivered. It was a really big time game for him. “That would have been one of the stories of the game if we had been able to figure out a way to win it.”
Daigneault said the challenge to repeat was not among the things that led to the defeat. “You can be proud of effort and progress and the level we played… and we can also be really disappointed,” he said. “Felt like we could have won the series. We were right there. There’s nobody we don’t think we can’t beat. “I thought we had enough to win but credit San Antonio — they’re the ones who did.”
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
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Swiatek exits French Open; Zverev eases into quarters
PARIS, France, June 1 —— Four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek exited Roland Garros as the top seeds continued to fall at the start of the second week, while Alexander Zverev booked his spot in the quarterfinals.
The Polish third seed endured a miserable 25th birthday as she went down, 7-5, 6-1, to Madrid Open winner Marta Kostyuk. Since winning Roland Garros in her second appearance at the tournament in 2020, Swiatek had never gone more than two years without hoisting aloft the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. But after Aryna Sabalenka ended her bid to win a fourth consecutive French Open in the semifinals last year, she has lost her unbeatable status on clay.
Indeed since last winning in Paris in 2024, Swiatek has only lifted three titles in the two subsequent seasons. “It is harder a bit to handle stress for me in, like, (the) last year,” she said. “So I feel like today I felt off, you know, and I did mistakes that I didn’t want to do, and I wanted to play safe, but the ball flew everywhere. “Suddenly these feelings came back, and I tried to work on it with my dialogue inside, but it was tough today. Yeah, so it all kind of went drastically down, and I played worse and worse.”
After breaking Kostyuk in the first set to edge 4-3 ahead, Swiatek’s serve totally deserted her and she failed to hold again as the Ukrainian hit back to claim the opener and then raced through the second frame. For Kostyuk, reaching a first quarterfinal at Roland Garros was just the latest high mark in a fine clay-court season, in which she claimed the 250-level event in Rouen, as well as a first WTA 1000 title in the Spanish capital.
Elina Svitolina next stands between her compatriot and the last four after she fought back to beat Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0. After winning a first WTA 1000 title in eight years earlier in May at the Italian Open, Svitolina’s last-eight encounter with Kostyuk will pit against each other the two winners of the main warm-up events to Roland Garros. “It’s exciting. Definitely she’s been playing really well,” Svitolina said of Kostyuk, who is on a 15-match win streak on the red dirt. “I feel like it’s going to be an exciting battle for Ukraine, as well, you know, that there will be one Ukrainian in the semis.”
Sorana Cirstea continued her remarkable renaissance during her farewell season on tour as the 36-year-old bested Chinese world number 148 Wang Xiyu, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4). The Romanian will face Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva in what will be her first quarterfinal appearance at the French Open in 17 years.
Teenager Andreeva, who defeated 170th-ranked Swiss Jil Teichmann in straight sets, will be targeting a second semifinal in three years at Roland Garros. Rising Spanish star Rafael Jodar has been no stranger to lengthy matches in his debut Roland Garros campaign. But the 19-year-old’s five-set win over fellow countryman Pablo Carreno Busta was even longer drawn out than it would otherwise have been as the heatwave that defined the first week subsided to rain, which caused brief delays in play.
Jodar battled back from two sets down to beat the 34-year-old, 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. His next opponent is the highest-ranked man left in the draw and the prime contender to claim a maiden Grand Slam crown, German second seed Zverev. The 29-year-old three-time major finalist eased through the fourth round with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 6-1 win over 106th-ranked Dutch lucky loser Jesper de Jong.
Despite only dropping a set so far en route to an eighth quarterfinal appearance at Roland Garros, Zverev refused to be drawn on the question of finally breaking his Grand Slam duck. “I will focus on the matches that are ahead of me. This is the only thing that I can control,” he insisted. “I feel like I’m handling the situations quite well, and I will do everything possible to continue doing that.”
Joao Fonseca, Novak Djokovic’s conqueror in the last 32, felled another big name as he beat two-time French Open finalist Casper Ruud, 7-5, 7-6 (10/8), 5-7, 6-2, in the night session to further confirm his arrival in the big time. “I just try to be me on court, try to be happy, try to hit winners, try to hit good shots, try to be entertaining,” Fonseca, who bludgeoned 51 winners, said. The Brazilian teenager will next take on fellow first-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Jakub Mensik, who battled past Andrey Rublev in five sets.
Source: philstar.com
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FEATURED ARTICLE
Private sector and food security for the region
It’s been more than a week since the ASEAN Summit and our own ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) meetings in Cebu and Boracay. But the work doesn’t stop at the big national meetings; it will continue throughout the year, up until the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in November. In the next few days, in fact, I will go and meet with business organizations and more private sector partners from the region as part of my duties as this year’s chair of the ASEAN-BAC.
I have probably had my share of complaining about the number of meetings on my calendar, but I think in the end, the outcomes are worth all the hours we put in trying to gather insights from experts, trying to come to a consensus and figuring out how the private sector can best contribute to the inclusive and sustainable growth of ASEAN.
The meetings of the last few weeks, for example, have been very fruitful. At the recent ASEAN-BAC council meeting in Boracay, the product was a five-point action plan that defines the role of the private sector in helping ASEAN become a more integrated region, one that is inclusive and whose growth will be uninterrupted. These plans were drafted with a view to the current global disruptions caused by war and now, increasingly, by climate change.
The plans call for keeping trade open during crises by using “green lanes” for food-related items and avoiding abrupt export restrictions. They also emphasize prioritizing energy for food systems so that processing, cold chains and logistics can continue operating during energy stress. To maintain production and jobs, the plan supports SMEs and farmers by improving access to trade finance and liquidity. It further proposes regulatory agility through fast-track approval processes for low-risk alternatives without lowering safety standards. Finally, it calls for establishing a standing public-private resilience mechanism to monitor disruptions and coordinate rapid, region-wide responses.
Of the five-point action plan, two are directly food-related. This is because food security is inseparable from and reflective of supply chain resilience. It is the one metric that every ASEAN citizen feels immediately.
The private sector can contribute to food security in so many ways. It can help boost agricultural productivity and innovation. One relevant example would be through weather forecasting, which in the Philippines greatly helped revive the local tobacco industry in the north. Another way is in facilitating domestic, regional and global market access. One persistent problem among our MSMEs in agriculture is compliance with international standards, which can greatly help our small-scale producers scale up by tapping the export market. The private sector can also help with infrastructure investments, such as cold chain facilities and value-added processing. And last but not least, the private sector can help mobilize finance and technology to help farmers scale up and become more productive.
One of the legacy projects we will establish as part of the Philippines’ chairship of the ASEAN-BAC is the ASEAN Food Security Alliance, or AFSA. This has roots in Go Negosyo’s Kapatid Angat Lahat sa Agri, which is premised on integrating small-scale farmers into the value chain of “big-brother” agri companies. The hope is that they will benefit from the technology and processes, as well as the market access of these large corporations, helping them to scale and raising their productivity. AFSA itself has had several pilot initiatives that show that yes, this can work. It can help steer agriculture away from fragmented efforts into a coordinated, investment and data-driven collaboration that will leverage the strengths of each ASEAN member-state. The work started more than two years ago, and the work continues to this day.
Not a few weeks before the ASEAN Summit in Cebu, ASEAN-BAC Philippines signed MOUs for food and agriculture supply resilience between a Filipino company, Yovel Agriventures, and the Singapore logistics expert, YCH Group. The partnership aims to promote deeper supply chain resilience in priority food and agricultural commodities, not only within the Philippines but across the broader ASEAN region.
This collaboration comes at a critical time when global supply chain disruptions continue to challenge food systems, impacting availability, affordability and access across Southeast Asia.
The beauty of this MOU is that it leverages technology, specifically YCH’s SG Connect platform, a digital and physical supply chain ecosystem that integrates logistics, data and trade facilitation solutions. By improving end-to-end visibility and coordination, SG Connect can help reduce bottlenecks, optimize distribution networks and enable MSMEs to access regional markets more effectively.
For the local company, Yovel East, YCH’s expertise and experience will provide innovative and proven solutions that ensure ease of access and connectivity of supply chain corridors. What this will ultimately mean for the ordinary citizen is lower food prices.
There are several structural challenges present in our region’s food systems. These include port congestion, high levels of post-harvest losses and inefficiencies in farm-to-market logistics. This partnership can help improve the availability and affordability of food and agricultural inputs, particularly during periods of market volatility and external shocks.
YCH Group’s SG Connect platform has already been successfully implemented in Vietnam and Cambodia. With hope, this MOU with Yovel will also benefit MSMEs in the agri sector, as well as smallholder farmers across ASEAN once it scales.
AFSA is meant to bring ASEAN nations together to help the region build better food systems – ones that can stand up to shocks and still reach everyone. The goal is to connect farmers, markets and businesses more smoothly, cut out avoidable waste and delays and encourage smarter spending on things like logistics, new tools and infrastructure. In the end, it’s about making sure ASEAN can feed a growing population reliably. And in a world where disruption is no longer the exception, these priorities aren’t just important – they’re urgent, and they demand our full attention.
Source: Go Negosyo – www.philstar.com